ITVCFITB CHAPTER 126

Chapter 126 — Extra: The Scenery Is Beautiful

As a villain system, 0809 had never imagined it would one day fail a mission.

It had always thought this particular task was simple: just a small, insignificant ancient world. With the mall items it provided to its host, even the strongest natives could be crushed in an instant. As long as it guided the host through the main storyline, the villain could seize control of the world. Then 0809 would complete its assignment for the Lord God, earning points to upgrade itself.

In its mind, the outcome was guaranteed.

Systems, too, had their own hierarchies. 0809 was not especially advanced, it still had a physical form. More powerful systems could transcend bodies and simultaneously link with hosts across multiple worlds. But this world, it had thought, was easy prey.

One slip, however, and everything collapsed.

It knew the rule: failed systems disappeared forever, never to return. Where they went, no one knew.

Even before being recalled, 0809 had lived in dread. But when it finally returned to the system world, it discovered it hadn’t been caged for deletion. Instead, it was thrown among a cluster of low-tier systems, each flashing with red warning lights.

“Why are we all here? What’s going on?” it asked another system.

“You really don’t know? The Lord God System is under attack!”

0809 froze. No wonder the Lord God hadn’t recycled it immediately after failure. Otherwise, those two natives wouldn’t have had time to strip it of everything, draining its storage until it was empty. They had wanted to destroy it, but as mere characters of a small world, they lacked the knowledge. All they could do was torment it to the brink of madness and madness alone was torment enough.

“I just finished my task. I didn’t know…”

“Our world is collapsing. The Lord God pulled us low-level systems here to take the brunt of the attack!”

“What? The Lord God won’t save us?”

“Save us? You’re dreaming. We’re nothing but shields. The righteous Lord God is striking us down and our villain Lord God may be annihilated this time.”

0809’s faint hope shattered. It thought it had escaped death, but this was far worse. It might not even leave behind a fragment.

“So… we won’t survive?”

“No. There’s no way out.”

Despair swallowed 0809 whole.

The low-level systems had no freedom. Their bodies were bound by the Lord God’s control. They all wanted to flee, but none could. Not even 0809. This time, escape was impossible.

Then came the end.

All at once, the systems were sucked into a glowing orb, stacked together in a blinding mass. Their energy drained away, piece by piece. 0809’s light grew dimmer and dimmer. Was this the fate of a villain system? It couldn’t even remember how it had been born, or how it became a system at all.

At last, its glow faded to nothing. Like the others, it became a pile of useless scrap, its remaining energy fed into the giant orb.

Moments later, a monstrous man raised the orb and hurled it at a towering, phantom figure. The phantom swayed aside, caught the orb in one hand, infused it with his own power, and flung it back.

The man was smashed to pieces.

Stepping on the mangled remains, the phantom sneered. “Villain Lord God? Trash. You’re nothing but a bug. We’ve tracked you down, and now you’re erased.”

The villain Lord God laughed bitterly. “Erase me, and another will rise. You can never truly wipe out us ‘bugs.’ One day, we’ll rule all the worlds.”

“Then come try,” the phantom replied coldly. “But you will die here, under my hand.”

With a final stomp, the villain Lord God’s form disintegrated into nothing, vanishing from existence.

The key had been simple: destroy his control over the small worlds, cut off his source of energy, then strike the killing blow. Now, those worlds could function freely again.

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At that moment, in another world:

While listening to their son recite poetry, Luo Shuyu and Li Mingjin looked up to see a strange red glow flash across the sky. Then, like an explosion, a shimmering cloud-bridge cracked apart, crumbling into nothing until only faint wisps of white remained.

Luo Shuyu’s eyes widened slightly. “Your Majesty, did you see that?”

Li Mingjin nodded. “Yes. It looked like a bridge breaking apart.”

“I think,” Luo Shuyu said softly, “we won’t have to worry anymore.”

Li Mingjin squeezed his hand, steady and certain. “Of course. After so long, it’s time for an ending.”

The sight reminded them of the day the system had first vanished. Without destroyers, their world could now grow on its own. No more intruders, no more time travelers.

Li Cheng’an, too, seemed to sense something. He slipped an arm around his younger brother, who was gazing at the sky.

A smile tugged at his lips. What a beautiful sight.

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